Apple releases speedier iPod touch 6 — with same form factor as 5

Apple today updated the venerable iPod touch. The new model features a 64-bit A8 CPU, better cameras, and a new 128GB storage tier. Prices begin at $199 for a 16GB model, same as before.

It's been nearly three years since the iPod touch was significantly updated. The iPod touch 5 came out in September 2012. That iPod has been a workhorse in enterprise retail, as a low-cost and highly-durable mobile platform.

It appears that the new iPod touch 6 has exactly the same form factor as its predecessor. There's a good chance it will be compatible with the various sleds, scanners, and cases already in wide use today.

One more note: Apple's identifier for the new model is iPod7,1. The model it replaces was iPod5,1. What happened to iPod6,1? Was there an intermediate product that was canned?